Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to subject matter for descending a rope, and more particularly to a device and method for descending a rope at fast but controlled descent rate.
Description of Related Art
A variety of rope descent systems and methods have been developed for several situations including military, tactical and combat situations. One such method known as “fast roping” is used by military and tactical personnel around the world to descend from a hovering aircraft (e.g. a helicopter) to the ground using a rope that is suspended from the aircraft. A typical fast rope must be of sufficient diameter (about 1-4 inches) to prevent the rope from wildly whipping around due to the down wash of the hovering aircraft while also allowing the user to grip it with his double gloved hands. The rope is also typically provided with a braided or plaited pattern on its outer circumference to make it easier to grip.
Fast roping is a preferred method of insertion over other methods such as rappelling due to its overall efficiency, effectiveness, and ease of installation. The simplicity and speed of fast roping is its greatest attribute. Fast roping allows several users to rapidly descend from the same rope simultaneously. The user simply grips the rope with their gloved hands and feet, and slides down the rope in a similar manner to a fireman sliding down a pole. The simplicity and speed of fast roping is particularly valuable in combat operations because it minimizes the time over the deployment area, which reduces the vulnerability of the aircraft and inserting force to hostile fire.
However, since the user is attached to the rope by only their hands and feet, fast roping carries a certain amount of risk. In particular, safety and load-carrying capabilities. A user runs the risk of either burning their gloved hands from the friction or hurting themselves by descending too fast and hitting the ground hard. In addition, users often carry heavy loads or other equipment during deployment, which adds to the risk of a free-fall accident.
Other traditional rope descent systems and methods (e.g. belay device, rappel rack, etc.) have been developed to counter these risks, however, they can reduce the simplicity and speed of fast roping operations. For example, these systems and methods typically require more setup time and permit only one person to descend from the rope at a time. In addition, a user typically must wear additional specialty equipment such as a harness. Moreover, many systems and methods require the user to deviate from existing descent procedures. These deviations can lead to an increased risk of injury as the “muscle memory” developed from training is unlearned.
Accordingly, a need remains in the art for a more versatile rope descent device and method capable of maintaining a fast but safe descent rate of a user carrying a heavy load or equipment.